Aziz Ansari Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Aziz Ansari, the Parks and Recreation and Master of None star who has built a career out of using comedy as a means to explore modern relationships, has been accused of sexual misconduct by an anonymous woman who says she went out on a date with him shortly after the 2017 Emmy Awards.

Twenty-three-year-old photographer “Grace” described the encounter to the Web site Babe, saying she met Ansari while she was taking photos at the Emmy Awards after-party. The two bonded over Ansari’s camera and eventually exchanged phone numbers. According to the woman, Ansari invited her out on a date on Monday, September 25.

On the night in question, the two allegedly met at Ansari’s Tribeca apartment and walked over to Grand Banks, an oyster bar aboard a schooner. Grace said that they left abruptly to go back to his apartment, where Ansari began to kiss her. She told Babe that she was uncomfortable with how quickly the situation escalated. “It was really quick,” she said. “Everything was pretty much touched and done within ten minutes of hooking up, except for actual sex.”

Grace said she attempted to indicate her disinterest, but Ansari followed her around the apartment as though he was executing “a football play.” “It was 30 minutes of me getting up and moving and him following and sticking his fingers down my throat again,” she said. “It was really repetitive. It felt like a fucking game.” She said he then suggested they move to the couch, where he continued to attempt to initiate sex, though she wasn’t interested: “I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested. I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored.”

She tried to verbally communicate her disinterest: “I said I don’t want to feel forced because then I’ll hate you, and I’d rather not hate you,” she said. Ansari appeared to understand at first, but soon continued his overtures. She said he only appeared to get the message when she emphatically said ‘no’ after he’d bent her over in front of a large mirror. He suggested they “just chill” on his couch.

At that point, said Grace, “It really hit me that I was violated . . . I felt really emotional all at once when we sat down there. That that whole experience was actually horrible.”

Afterward, Ansari called her a car. Grace said she cried the whole trip home. She texted Ansari after the date, explaining how uncomfortable she’d felt: “Last night might’ve been fun for you, but it wasn’t for me. When we got back to your place, you ignored clear non-verbal cues; you kept going with advances. You had to have noticed I was uncomfortable.” She explained she was telling him this so that “maybe the next girl doesn‘t have to cry on the ride home.” Ansari reportedly responded, “Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I’m truly sorry.”

“I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz,” Grace told Babe. “I was not listened to and ignored. It was by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had.”

Ansari has delved into the nature of sexual assault and harassment both during live sets and on his show Master of None. During his 2015 Madison Square Garden special, he asked women in the crowd who had been followed home by “creepy dudes” to raise their hands. “What I’ve learned, as a guy, is to just ask women questions and listen to what they have to say,” he told the Daily Beast of the bit. “You’ll get blown away by the things they tell you. You’ll think, ‘What the fuck? This is way darker than anything I’d imagined.’”

In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged
numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We
went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual
activity, which by all indications was completely consensual.

The next day, I got a text from her saying that although “it may have
seemed okay,” upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was
true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was
not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words
to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what
she had said.

I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture.
It is necessary and long overdue.

Update (January, 15, 2018): This post has been updated to include Ansari’s statement.